The 1st International Symposium on Insulin Receptors held in Rome, 9/22-23, 1980 was an enormous success. A large number of premier scientists in the field attended the meeting as well as many other participants from all over the world. Since attendance was limited to 200 participants, the meeting was unable to accept applications from many other scientists who wished to attend. Because of this initial major success, the scientific Organizing Committee has decided to continue this international symposium every 3 years on an indefinite basis. The meeting site will be determined 3 yrs in advance by the Scientific Organizing Committee and the 1983 meeting will be held in Rome; the 1986 meeting is tentatively planned for Madrid, Spain. Future meeting dates and sites will be determined by the Scientific Organizing Committee. Based on the strong foundation provided by the success of the 1st International Symposium, we believe that the justification for the second meeting is even stronger. The field of cell surface peptide hormone receptors has been one of the most exciting and fast moving areas in Biology, Biochemistry and Medicine. Studies of insulin receptors and insulin action have been among the most active areas in these fields and in many cases have served as general models with broad applicability to other areas of ligand receptor interactions and cell biology in general. Since the 1st International Symposium on Insulin Receptors, a number of major new developments have taken place in the field of insulin receptors and insulin action and to a large extent these new developments will provide the focus for the upcoming meeting. Among these major new developments include: 1) the insulin mediator-substance, 2) insulin receptor mediated phosphorylation, 3) the translocation hypothesis for insulin stimulation of glucose transport, and 4) the development of sophisticated methodology to quantitatively assess biosynthesis of insulin receptors. The above list is meant to be simply representative and not even broadly inclusive, since many other obvious areas of important new discoveries have been omitted. The purpose of the upcoming meeting will be to bring together the leading investigators in the identified areas to exchange ideas on the most recent advances as well as to expose new investigators in this area to the current state of the art of scientific thinking and methodology.